On Wednesday, they recalled the 21-year-old forward from their AHL affiliate in Hartford. He'd had six goals and an assist in eight games since they last sent him down on Feb. 26.

Chris Kreider had six goals in his last eight AHL games. (AP Photo)

On Tuesday night, coach John Tortorella said the goal was to bring up Kreider (6-3, 226 pounds) for good.

Kreider had a goal and an assist in 11 NHL games after starting the season as a potential Calder candidate, thanks to his five-goal 2012 postseason. That was his first NHL action and came shortly after leaving Boston College, so he was far from a finished product, and it showed.

"There are still some things for him that need be worked on. In the two (weekend) games they won, we got some really good reports on him. He's certainly in our discussion, along with a number of other people. We don't want to keep knee-jerking him back and forth, we want to make sure when we do (recall him) — if we do — we feel he's ready to play," Tortorella told reporters.

Winning puck battles was an issue for Kreider; his speed and physicality helped him get into position, but coming away with possession was a problem.

“Acquiring the puck and holding onto it,” Kreider told the New York Daily News in late February. “Yeah, it’s something I’ve always been good at, puck-work down low and cycling, staying low. I’ve been struggling a bit lately, but I know it’s there. I’m not reinventing the wheel."

The Rangers could certainly use him. They're in eighth place in the Eastern Conference because of tiebreakers and are still struggling to generate secondary scoring.